1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to methods and computer-based systems for managing documents or files between multi-function devices and various network applications.
2. Discussion of the Background
Over the past several years, there has been an increase in the number and types of document-related applications available over networks. These applications can include document management systems, such as those specializing in managing documents of various specific contents, for example medical, legal, financial, marketing, scientific, educational, etc. Other applications include various delivery systems, such as e-mail servers, facsimile servers, regular mail delivery. Yet other applications include document processing systems, such as format conversion and optical character recognition.
Various systems for accessing these network applications from image processing devices (e.g., scanners, printers, copy machines, cameras) have been contemplated. One system associates a computer with each image processing device for managing the documents with the network applications. The computers communicate with the various network applications to enable the use of these applications by the user of the image processing devices. For example, the computers request and receive from the network applications information about the format and content of the data required by the applications to manage documents. The computers process this information and configure the image processing devices to provide the correct format and content.
Such systems, however, have a number of drawbacks, especially if considered within an environment of a relatively large office with numerous image processing devices and using different kinds of network document applications, which may change over time. Specifically, the requirement of having a computer for each image processing device increases cost and decreases flexibility. This requirement creates the burden of maintaining, securing and upgrading the computers. When a new application is integrated within the system, each computer and/or each image processing device must be updated and made compatible with the new network application. The task of updating each local computer and/or each image processing device creates a costly burden on the administrator of the system, and severely increases the traffic over the company's network. This increase in traffic can slow down the company's entire network. As another drawback, any confidential information required to use the network is relatively vulnerable because each of the local computers and image processing devices is exposed to a security breach.